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I love books. I love reading books. I love when there’s a knock on my door and the delivery man is there with a box of shiny new books. Writing about books, talking about books, dreaming about books. I love it all.

What I don’t love is when all of a sudden my TBR pile is out of control, I have review books screaming to be read and release dates fast approaching on ARCS. I panic. I freeze. Sometimes I even cry. And I almost always stop reading. These mini-meltdowns (or Book Induced Anxiety (BIA)) seem to suck my desire to read ANYTHING right out of me. So even less reading and reviewing gets done. Which means more stress. Which results in less reading. Which – well, you get the picture.

These reading funks are no fun, nope, not at all. I usually end up with 1/2 a dozen or so books started but none finished. I’ll try reading different genres but it’s usually a no-go. Most times I get so stressed out that I shop. And what do I buy? You guessed it: more books.

So, how do I beat BIA? I don’t have a tried and true method. Sometimes picking up a well loved book and reading it helps (anything by Kelley Armstrong) or I tried to read something completely out of my normal reading zone (Alyson Noel’s Immortal series). I might pick up a short book or graphic novel so that I can feel the satisfaction of finishing a book.

I often wondered if I was the only book blogger who experiences reading funks brought on by BIA. I talked to a few bloggers on Twitter and it looks like this can be a common occurance.

I don’t really have to deal with the ARC issue. I only review classics, so..you know..those guys are dead and can’t come a-pitchin’. I do feel pressure to read large tomes faster, though, knowing that my readers are waiting. Or maybe they’re not waiting, and I just like to think they are ;).

At any rate, it helps to remember that you’re doing this because you love it. In that, we’re all fortunate.

Oh boy do I get BIA. Normally it’s because I’m really not enjoying the book that I’m reading as much as I should and I feel like that’s cheating the other books on my shelf. I stop and pick up a book that I really want to read. If that doesn’t work I don’t let myself read until I’m about to die from boredom, then when I finally pick up a book it’s a huge relief. Reminding myself that I’m doing this for me, not for my followers, also helps me to slow down and enjoy things a little bit as well.

I tend to get caught up in “OMG the publisher is going to be mad if I don’t review this ASAP and then I’ll end up on the bad bloggers list” thought process which is totally in my head. Once I wrap my head around the fact that this isn’t a race and the point is to enjoy the books, my BIA should be under control.

Ahhh the huge tbr really makes it hard to decide what to read next, I completely agree. I find myself continually reading a chapter and then changing my mind and choosing something else instead. I only just began to get pitches, but have learnt quickly to say no unless I really want it!